He was under attack, but tonight, Shyne Barrow has been vindicated and confirmed as a legally registered Mesopotamia voter.
Two former PUP aspirants for the seat - who live in Mesop - objected to his registration in late October. As the Revising Officer - the Chief Magistrate started hearing the case on the 15th of November.
Today, after hearing 5 witnesses - 3 from the PUP, 2 from the UDP - she delivered a 3 page judgement. Jules Vasquez was at the courthouse:
Attorney for Shyne Barrow, Dickie Bradley sauntered into court this afternoon at 1:00 sharp and 17 minutes later, we emerged having heard the Chief Magistrate's verdict:
The PUP objectors failed to disprove that Shyne Barrow was legitimately registered. Which means the challenge to his Mesopotamia registration was defeated; he's safe.
Bradley said it is a huge and consequential outcome - especially when one considers the alternative:
Dickie Bradley, Attorney - Shyne Barrow
"It was not simple. The consequences could have been devastating because none other than the constitution of Belize is very clear that a person who has committed an election offense cannot remain or cannot enter the hallowed halls of the House of Representatives."
But, in truth, the shoddily assembled case had little chance of success:
Dickie Bradley, Attorney - Shyne Barrow
"They were attacking after July of 2023. And the Chief Magistrate in her three-page written decision just now went into the details of the objectors that she said the questions we had put to them."
"When you pass the man house, because one them said he go morning, noon, evening and night. So when you pass and he said, well, it was in August, after the man had already resided there. We had pointed out in our submission that a person can reside in an area, gets approved and is on the voter's role and can go to America and not come back until election day. That is commonplace in our society. Or can go and work in San Pedro and register and Mesop or could go live somewhere else and register in Mesop. Next year if he wants, he can change his division. So the Chief Magistrate of Belize focused her legal attention to what the law requires. The law requires that when you go in to apply to be put on the voter's list, you must have resided a minimum of two months in that area. And she went to each of the objectives, the three objectives, and that none of them had in fact come close to unearthing that matter."
"Don't come and tell me, oh boy, if you go to that place right now, Shyne only have one little bed, then a little refridge and some books that he reads. That does not apply. That is focusing on perhaps the right thing, but at the wrong time."
After gamely consulting with the attorney for the PUP side, Leeroy - Bradley said - in his judgement - there can be no appeal:
Dickie Bradley, Attorney - Shyne Barrow
"There can be no appeal on merit. It would be frivolous and vexatious and would be thrown out. Why? I'll give you one good reason. which I have spent a few minutes explaining. None of the allegations focused on the period when he is required by law to be residing there. What are you going to appeal on?"
And as the PUP Secretary General, Linsford Castillo huffed off with a scowl, we wondered….:
Dickie Bradley, Attorney - Shyne Barrow
"I don't want to criticize my party in a situation. I have come here as an attorney. My client contacted me and asked - this is a challenging case for me. It's a very big case. Had he lost it, you would be interviewing the spokesperson of the People's United Party as to when they will trigger the procedure that will lead to him having to leave."
"And if he does not leave, he would be put out by the sergeant of arms with the assistance of the police, the Coast Guard and the Belize Defense Force."
Perhaps a little dramatic - but to the victor goes the latitude for liberal characterizations.
